Bethnal Green cafe helps East London artist win art prize

Nathan Eastwood has won the East London Painting Prize in its first year of competition.

Winning the title and £10,000, Nathan’s winning entry, “Nico’s Café”, is a black and white painting, which features an old man sitting in the same named Bethnal Green café.

Claire Gevaux, Head of Creative Programmes at the Legacy List, said:

“We are delighted that Nathan, with his representation of everyday life in East London, has been awarded this prize.”

With a mixture of mediums, Eastwood has created a work that reflects his insight into everyday life.

The East London Painting Prize, created by Legacy List, is to commemorate the artist Jack Goldhill.

It was launched on March 14, 2014 and celebrates a wide range of artists from Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Barking & Dagenham and Redbridge.

Of 300 submissions, 43 were shortlisted by a panel of artists and curators.

Eastwood’s paintings are based on photographs, which he said:

“Acts as the bridge between my painted support and the real world; they provide me information and content that act as a vehicle, allowing me; time to re-present and examine or scrutinize the real social existence.”

His paintings are inspired by his surroundings in East London, where he often spends time in launderettes and cafes speaking to his subjects.

Born in Scotland, Eastwood graduated from Byam Shaw School of Fine Art (London) in 2009 and now lives in Newham.

Following the success of the East London Painting Prize, the competition will be running for a second year in 2015.